At 7:15 AM on Thursday, September 13, near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, the eye of Hurricane Florence officially made landfall, and the beginning of a path of destruction and devastation began.
Hurricane Florence was first recorded as a Category 4 hurricane, then weakened to a Category 2, and made landfall as a Category 1. After Friday evening, the storm reached Tropical Storm status.
The storm slammed the East Coast with wind gusts up to 105 mph winds, and an unofficially recorded 33.89 inches of rain water. The rainfall of Hurricane Florence broke the official statewide record set by Hurricane Floyd in 1999 of 24.06 inches.
There are 17 confirmed deaths linked to the storm and hundreds of thousands are still without power.
Response teams in 19 states sent in volunteers to help with rescue efforts as the floodwaters continued to rise, leaving many homes and structures damaged.
The storm surge of 10 feet above normal levels was reported by the National Weather Service office in North Carolina on 11 PM Thursday, only adding to the severe flooding that had already begun.
Colleges such as the University of South Carolina and University of North Carolina took the safe route and decided to close schools in an effort to protect their students and faculty.
Property damages throughout the Carolinas could reach up to $22 billion by the end of the storm’s devastation, and could even go higher if the flooding continues to batter the coastal cities as viciously as it has.
Our hearts go out to the victims of this vicious storm. Seton Hall has decided to collaborate with Catholic Charities to provide relief for the extended Pirate network and anyone who is suffering as a result of the impact. The “Go Blue for Hurricane Relief” program will donate 100% of any donations directly to relief funds to better the quality of life for those affected.